Lead-pencil.



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

E. WIN NE- LEAD PEN GIL. APPLIOATION FILED APE.9,1907.

In ventor:

ERNEST WINNE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LEAD-PENCIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed April 9, 1907- Serial No. 367,239.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST WINNE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county ofNew York and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Lead-Pencils, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in lead pencils and particularlyto lead pencils having the lead adjustably or removably held in a woodenor other sheath, for the purpose of avoiding the necessity of sharpeningthe sheath and thus preserving continually the full length of thepencil.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved lead pencilof this kind, which is simple in construction, and in which the lead canbe easily and rapidly adjusted and when adjusted is held firmly andsecurely in position and which is cheap.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of'referenceindicate like parts in all the figures:- Figm'e 1 is a longitudinalsectional view of the upper end part of my improved lead pencil. Fig. 2is a perspective view of the locking wedge. Fig. 3 is a transversesectional view on the line 33 of Fig. l.

The sheath or shell A of the pencil is made of wood, paper 01' othersuitable material and is tapered at its upper end in the conventionalmanner and is provided with a bore B of sufficient diameter to receivethe lead 0 of the desired thickness. For the purpose of strengtheningthe upper end of the bore and preventing splitting of the tapered end ofthe sheath or shell, a reinforcing sleeve D preferably made of metal maybe inserted and secured in the upper end of the bore and the surface ofits bore is preferably made flush with the bore of the sheath as shownin Fig. 1. The lead 0 can be moved lengthwise freely in the bore of thesheath A and after having been adjusted to project the desired distancefrom the upper tapered end of the sheath A is locked in place by thelocking wedge E preferably made of metal and provided at its largerouter end with an offset lip or lug F projecting from the convex side ofthe wedge and under which the finger nail can be placed to push or pullthe wedge out of the bore and out of engagement with the lead. Thelocking wedge E is segmental or meniscus shaped in cross section so asto fit snugly on the outer surface of the lead 0 and on the surface ofthe bore B. By forcing inward the locking wedge E after the lead hasbeen adjusted to the desired position this wedge locks the lead securelyin place.

The wedge E is pushed inward until its top ledge or shoulder F restsupon the upper end of the sheath as shown and when in this position thewedge is practically out of sight and the ledge or shoulder F does notproject sufficiently to be in the way or in any way objectionable whileusing the pencil for writing or drafting. The lead can be releasedinstantly by merely with-drawing the wedge more or less, withoutremoving it entirely from the bore in the sheath and can then be pushedback to lock the lead in place.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and'desire to secureby Letters Patent is In a lead pencil, the combination with a tubularsheath for receiving the lead and having a tapering; end from which oneend of the lend is to project, of a wedge which is curved transverselyto its length and has a lip at its larger end on the convex side andwhich wedge is to be inserted in the tapered end of the sheath betweenthe lead and the bore of the sheath, substantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city in the county of New York and State of New Yorkthis 2nd day of April A. D. 190T.

ERNEST \VINNE.

